Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Can't find explorer.exe when trying to execute the program from task manager file run menu option or can't find explorer.exe when running from a command prompt. If you have an XP system that boots but doesn't show the desktop after recently removing malware, spyware, adware, and others like Trojans and viruses, then try the fix described in this post for a fix - it worked for me.

Other symptoms include being able to access the explorer.exe file in the windows directory. You can rename it and move it , copy it and even delete it but when you try to run the file to get the desktop to show, the system tells you that it cannot find the explorer.exe or explorer file specified.

Especially if you already checked forums and found that no one has the answer to this one except to reinstall the operating system or try a repair install of XP. Doing a repair install in many cases doesn't help, the problem remains.

Cannot Display the Desktop, Desktop Has No Icons

If your computer boots but is unable to display the desktop because explorer.exe is not running and all efforts to start explorer fail, then there check the following registry setting.

Look for explorer.exe and delete the key. It should not be there. If you have doubts, then just look at another computer where explorer starts. You'll waste your time if you do however and besides, explorer isn't starting anyway - what are you going to break. If you've found this post then your already frustrated with all the forums and tech support sites that led to no answers or the classic cop-out "reinstall" or "repair". The repair doesn't work and will most likely hang and the wipe out and re-install, a little too drastic for this problem.

Sfc /Scannow - System file check does nothing to help this problem either, tin this case it was the registry change that made the difference and it can be done in normal or safe mode. Immediately following the change just start explore.exe from the command prompt or from task Manager - explorer.exe loads and so does the rest of the desktop loads.

It worked for me. Thanks a bunch for the post. All the usual routines didn't resolved this most simple solution. I had slaved an infected xp drive to my main computer and scanned with Norton AV which removed several trojans & Infostealers. Upon reboot, no explorer, but everything else pretty normal.

I've seen this problem on 11 PCs over the last week.If I copy explorer then run the copy, windows runs. AV is up-to-date on all PCs and scanning shows no infection, Spybot & Adaware show no issues with spy/grey/mal ware.

Fixed it for me too. This happened after removing XP Antivirus 2008, and will likely happen with that whole family (MS Antivirus, XP Antivirus, Vitae Antivirus, etc.). You might want to update the original post to include these spyware so people get a more targeted google result. As an aside SDFix cleared up the trojan/rootkit aspects as well (restoring the link to explorer.exe doesn't mean the spyware is gone!). Counterspy got the rest.

Thank you all for posting comments and recommendations like how to get this site to be found easier.

You are all welcome!!!

_squid, this should be in the top ten!! A lot of people are burning a lot of time with this problem. After spending time cleaning a computer then not having explorer run - that stinks.

The system I worked on was brought to me by another tech and he had just given up. The customer was pissed and ready to not sign on for more work/projects just because of this. Although the secret to how it was found is behind some good old school dos commands, it doesn't matter. I know others are/were suffering with this too and had to get the word out.

Anonymous, your right maybe mentioning MS Antivirus, XP Antivirus, Vitae Antivirus, etc., will help get more people to this site that are having this problem. To be sure the big forums will scrape the solution off. I hope they have the coutesy to link to this blog and post so the next time I post something like this more people around the world can find the solution faster.

Please link to this post and blog.... this solution would be found faster if this site gets found easier.

To save lots of time was the reason I just had to share this solution.

This problem usually shows itself after cleaning the badware off. So after having gone through so much to get the computer cleaned, to have gone so far with getting the system back to a usable state, being stopped by this problem just can't be an option.

Once again, you are all welcome. Make this post findable by many and by all, worldwide. Link to the post and mixup the link text, "no desktop icons", "explorer doesn't start", no icons on XP desktop", etc..

The easier it is to find the better. This problem, as many of you have experienced, is a time hole. A lot of time can be saved if this post can be found quicker and easier.

Think of the terms you used when looking for an answer to this problem and throw a link this way with those words.

Brilliant! Thanks so much. This is a good reason to have multiple browsers installed on your computer in case something like this renders one of them unusable. I found this solution with FireFox. Even though I rarely use it it, came in very handy in this situation. Oh yeah ... Happy New Year!

I have all of the above problems, ie no start button, no task-bar and no desktop icons, only the last background picture I had on my screen before I had this problem.My main problem as well is my task manager will not work properly either. If I try to 'run' a new task, explorer.exe, for instance, it just disappears off the screen and does nothing, I can't even browse.So the only way I can do anything with my computer is in safe-mode with the command or Dos window. I can see everything all my data and files but can't do anything with them. I can navigate myself around the directories using Dos commands and about the only thing I can run is my Avast anti-virus software, (start AshAvast.exe) but I can't update it. Has anybody got any ideas?? remembering I can't access Windows at all, and I definitely can't access the registry to see whether "explorer.exe" is there or not. Not with my limited knowledge of Dos commands anyway.So heeeellllpppp!!!

Wonderful, thank you. So simple and right to the crux of the problem. I found iexplore.exe exactly where you said and I could see it was pointing to a very dodgy looking .exe file that was obviously deleted by the AV software. Deleted the reg entry and bingo!!

brilliant !I've spent the last 2 weeks with bleeping computer trying to get this thing fixed. After no joy whatsoever I did another search and found your blog and 10 minutes later problem gone. thanks a bunch.

After I deleted 'iexplorer.exe' in [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options], I was able to open Internet Explorer but a few minutes later it stopped working again because 'iexplorer.exe' came back in the Registry. If I delete it again it will just comes back again a few mins later.

I deleted the 'iexplore.exe' but it keeps on coming back. Seems my computer can't get rid of the "ropfnqz.exe" virus. NAV deletes it but when I open up IE again this virus comes back which causes 'iexplore.exe' to show up in the registry again? Any advice?

Hello everyone who has posted a comment and has found some salvation from this solution. You are all very welcome.

An anonymous poster asked why isn't this solution easier to find. All of you can make it easier to find by linking to this blog or post from forums and your own blogs, web sites,etc.. Add to you digg or other similar site.

For chelle, who finds and deletes the registry but it keeps coming back. If anyone could give advice to chelle please do so.

It does sound to me that the computer still has a trojan,worm, or some junkware that's adding this registry key.

The programs I've found to be most useful have been combofix.exe in conjunction with superantispyware.com. Hijackthis also helped a great deal but it doesn't really remove bad files. These two programs got me to the point where I had a system that was clean but had no desktop icons (I actually told a tech who was int he field with this computer to use these programs but in the end, he had to bring the computer to me).

So chelle, try these programs plus a good antivirus scanner. I used mcafee 8.0 enterprise (not the retail version)

Superantispyware is has a free version (i used the free) and is fast.

combofix was free, I heard rummer that they are charging now but I'm not sure.

A new program I used recently was from malwarebytes.org. They two have a free version. It works very well. Not as fast as superantispyware but effective. Neither superantispyware not malwarebytes leave a large footprint or services running. As you can see I like the smaller fast programs rather than the larger slower ones (like spybot search and destroy and ad-aware SE is off my list a while now as it is slow and not as effective as it once was).

Hi! I've searched high and low for a solution and I'm stoked to find this BUT, I have a trojan/virus which has disabled my regedit so I can't go ahead with your solution!!! Any other advice on how I can get around this please? I would really appreciate your help! Thank you Thank you Thank you in advance!

Thank GOD !! for this post !After hours of searching the internet and trying restore of windows disk etc.. this Was the Absolute CURE All to fix the problem ! I even scanned Microsofts website and found nothing helpful until I found this ! Thanks a BUNCH !! Saved me from having to do a complete reinstall !!

BOTH my computers lost explorer for whatever reason, I've been fixing and reinstalling and generally messing up both computers for a week! Thank you SO MUCH! Such a simple fix I could have avoided all the complications if I had looked on Microsoft forums. Thanks again.

Thank you 2cents, I have used this method several times now to fix computers. Before running the fix mentioned always run either Malwarebytes or Superantispyware, this way it can usually fix problems where access to regedit has been denied.

If still a problem follow the steps given by Anonymous on January 15, 2009 5:52 PM

So I'm having a problem similar, but deleting that registery didn't work. I can't load explorer.exe, everytime i try drwtsn32.exe loads up then they both disappear from the process list. If i try to run msconfig, same thing only dwwin.exe shows up then both disappear.

I also can't load ANY anti-virus software, and if i try to open an anti-virus forum or website with d/lable anit-virus software it either gets redirected to a spam site or doesn't load.

Fantastic! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I've been struggling with this for almost 2 months, and just by happened upon your solution in a last desperate attempt to fix it before I reinstalled XP. You're a genius.

Not sure how or where I found your site from (a million tabs open from Google on this problem! But Thanks so much!! I'm running XP in a virtual machine on my Mac and felt so stupid for even trying to work through XP... This problem came out of nowhere, affectd the VM XP and using Bootcamp to run it natively. Your fix worked straight away.

I had to say something to thank you for giving me this solution. I haven't been able to use IE for weeks. I must have read through 20 or 30 stupid threads/blogs/opinions about this problem which were useless. I was just going to reinstall windows. Yours was one of only two that had the answer. I have no idea how it worked; though I'm pretty sure the problem came from erasing iexplore.exe with an anti virus by mistake. So: awesome, you rock, and thank you very much.

BigThanks -- can't believe how much time I've spent on this (days). Also don't understand why I haven't stumbled on this before since I thought I'd tried just about every search argument there is. Anyway - my most sincere thanks.Jim McAdams

DUDE! I FEXING LOVE YOU MAN! I was just about to reformat, and boom this works. Oh man, great call. Its midnight here now.. just wanted to play some games with a friend. This is great! now i can undo that restore point and just do this.

wtf?! you rock, mate!!! after 8 months and people are giving their bloody thanks.. i've been googling this problem for quite a few days, and yeah, all those other 'solutions' presented out there are useless.

Just to add to your fix, when I went to start, run, "regedit" and located the IEXPLORER folder there were 2 items there. One stated "no value" and could not be deleted the other one could be deleted which solved the problem.

I also have Google Chrome which did not work and so I located the CHROME folder and did the same. Hey presto!!!! :-)

excuse me i have problem with my windowxp, ..i didn't find "explorer.exe" inside the "Image File Execution Options" ..i was follow your instruction properly, but i've being frustated when i open "image file execution options" and try to find the "explorer.exe" because there is no "explorer.exe" in there .. :(please help me up